Degrees of Isolation
by Frontline
Summary: Asuka and Rei have never seen eye-to-eye. But, they have one thing in common...
1. Chapter 1

**All characters and concepts are the property of their respective owners. No copyright infringement is intended, or profit made, from this work of fiction.**

Rei trailed at the back of the group as she followed the others out through the school gates and down the hill that lead towards the centre of the city. Around them sprawled Tokyo-3, the crystal blue waters of the ocean sparkling between the towering appartment blocks and office building. Like the rest of the students, Rei was dressed in the blue and white uniform of Tokyo-3 First Municipal Junior High School, her pale blue hair contrasting with her albino skin and red eyes. A few paces in front of her were Shinji, Touji and Kensuke. Of the three, Shinji was the shortest, a skinny boy with short black hair, the collar of his white shirt unbuttoned and crooked. Slightly taller than Shinji, Kensuke had scruffy brown hair and freckles, his large-framed glasses pushed right up on his nose, while Touji wore a black tracksuit and trousers, his hands shoved into his pockets. Ahead of them were Mari, Hikari and Asuka. Class Rep Hikari was as immaculate as ever, her brown hair pulled back into a tight braid and her uniform as neat as it had been at the start of the day, while Maki's black hair, strong jaw and round glasses gave her an intense air. And then there was Asuka, her red hair blowing in the wind.

'I can't believe how much the city's grown,' Kensuke said. 'That's the fourth tower block that's gone up in the last two months...'

'NERV has put a lot of money into new developments,' Mari said.

'I can't believe how much homework we've got,' Asuka muttered.

'We have exams in three months,' Rei said and Asuka scowled at the blue-haired albino.

'You always do what you're told, don't you...?'

'Yes,' Rei said and Asuka's scowl deepened as she turned away, muttering under her breath.

'Your Mom and Dad work for NERV, don't they, Shinji?' Touji asked.

'...yes,' he said. 'So...?'

'So, what do they do there? Something top secret, I bet...'

'...I don't know,' Shinji said. 'I've never asked...'

'When are you going to grow a pair?' Asuka demanded and Touji rounded on her.

'You're one to talk,' Touji snapped. 'Seeing as you don't have any ba...'

'That's enough,' Hikari said and Touji shoved his hands into his pockets, pushing past Asuka.

'C'mon, Kensuke,' He said. 'Let's get out of here...'

'Dummkoff!' Asuka yelled after him, her hands balling into fists...

_##################_

'I'm home,' Asuka said, as she closed the front door behind her. 'Mom?' She called, but there was no answer.

_I guess she's still working..__._

With a sigh, Asuka dumped her bag by the door and headed for the bathroom, kicking off her shoes as she went...

_##################_

'Welcome home,' Shinji's mother said as he shut the door behind him.

'Hello, Mom,' Shinji said, taking off his shoes and making his way to the kitchen. Pushing open the kitchen door, his Mother was standing by the oven, while his Father was seated at the kitchen table, his laptop open in front of him. A serious, stern looking man with dark hair wearing a black shirt and trousers, he glanced up at Shinji for a second, before returning to his work.

'Did you have a good day?' His Mother asked, a tall slender woman with dark brown hair, dressed in a pale blue shirt and dark grey trousers.

'It was fine,' Shinji said. 'I'm going to start on my homework...'

'Alright. Dinner will be ready in about an hour...'

##################

Rei stepped out of the shower, finishing drying her hair that contrasted starkly as the phone rang. Draping the towel around her neck, she stepped out of the bathroom and crossed the apartment to where the phone rested on the small table near to the window.

'Yes?' She said, picking up the phone and pressing the receiver to her ear.

'_Rei,' _Dr Akagi said. '_You're to report to NERV at 07:30 tomorrow...'_

'I understand...'

'_Very good,' _Dr Akagi said and there was a click as the line went dead. Replacing the receiver, Rei dressed quickly, pulling on her sweater as she headed for the lounge. Taking her science textbook from her bag, she settled down on the couch, starting to make notes...

_##################_

Asuka was just getting dressed into a faded t-shirt and comfortable shorts when her phone beeped and she reached out to pick it up.

_Asuka._

_I need to work late tonight. I should be back around 9. There's dinner in the fridge and make sure you do your homework. _

_Love, Mom._

Shoving her phone into her pocket, Asuka slumped onto the couch with a sigh, folding her arms across her chest. She sat there for a moment before grabbing her bag and pulling out her books...

_##################_

'Shinji,' his Mother called from downstairs. 'Dinner's ready...'

'Coming,' Shinji answered, closing his book and heading downstairs, taking his seat at the table opposite his Father.

'Is your homework finished?' His Father asked and Shinji nodded.

'Almost. I've just got my math problems to do...'

'Good,' His Father said. 'We will be attending the Imashura Technology Expo this weekend...'

'But...'

'Yes...?'

..._I don't want to, _Shinji thought. However, as he looked into his Father's eyes, the words died in his throat.

'Nothing...'

_##################_

Rei closed her books and slipped them back into her bag, tidying away her notes.

_Finished..._

Standing up, she headed for the kitchen and filled the kettle, switching it on as she took an instant ramen from the cupboard. As soon as the kettle boiled, she poured it into the pot, stirring it with her chopsticks as she carried it to the table. Eating quickly, she threw the pot in the bin and heading for her bedroom. Lying down on the bed, she picked up a book from her bedside table and started to read...

_##################_

'I'm sorry I'm late,' Asuka's mother said, as she came into the lounge.

'It doesn't matter,' Asuka muttered, without looking round.

'Well, I'll just get some dinner and then we can watch some TV...'

'I need to get to bed,' Asuka said, standing up. 'I'm up early tomorrow...'

'...alright. I'll see you in the morning...' She said, but Asuka walked past her without saying a word...

**Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed it. Any reviews, comments or constructive criticisms are very welcome.**


	2. Chapter 2

**All characters and concepts are the property of their respective owners. No copyright infringement is intended, or profit made, from this work of fiction. **

The sun was rising over the tower blocks as Rei stepped off the tram, her sports bag over her shoulder. This early in the morning, there were few people around and she enjoyed the peace and quiet. Pushing open the doors to the swimming baths, she showed her membership card to the receptionist on the desk.

'Good morning, Ayanami-san,' she said. 'It's quiet this morning, so you should have the place to yourself...'

'Thank you,' Rei said, taking back her card and heading for the locker room. Inside, she undressed and showered quickly, changing into her swimming costume as she headed for the pool...

_##################_

Asuka pulled on her sneakers, grabbing her MP3 player as she made her way downstairs past her mother's room. To her complete lack-of-surprise, the light was still off and she could hear her snoring faintly.

_Figures..._

With a sigh, she continued down the stairs, closing the front door quietly behind her, slipping her headphones in as she broke into a jog. She enjoyed these moments when she could loose herself in the rhythm of her feet on the payment...

_##################_

'Shinji, get up.'

With a groan, Shinji pushed back the covers and staggered out of bed, heading downstairs to the kitchen, rubbing sleep out of his eyes.

'You need to eat quickly, or you'll be late,' his mother said, from where she was stacking the dishwasher.

'Yes, Mom,' Shinji said, pouring himself a bowl of cereal, glancing over at his father who was reading the newspaper. With a sigh, Shinji picked up his spoon and started to eat...

##################

Rei climbed out of the water, grabbing her towel and drying her hair as she headed for the changing rooms. Opening her locker, she pulled out her phone and checked the time.

_07:55..._

With a sigh, she put the phone back into her locker and headed for the showers.

_##################_

Pulling on his shoes, Shinji grabbed his bag and made his way downstairs to where his mother was waiting.

'Well, have a good day,' she said, straightening his collar. 'Your father's already left for work. Now, you need to hurry or you'll miss the bell. I'll see you after school...'

##################

Asuka stepped out of the shower, wrapping the towel around herself on the way to her bedroom, shutting the door behind her. Dropping the towel, she changed quickly into her uniform and opened the door again, quietly slipping downstairs.

'Asuka...?' a sleepy voice said and she turned to see her mother emerging from her room, wrapped in her dressing gown.

'Morning,' she said. 'Did you...sleep alright...?'

'...yeah,' Asuka said. 'I'm...I need to go, or I'm gonna be late...'

'...alright. I'll see you after school...'

_##################_

'Don't you ever sleep, WonderGirl?' Asuka asked, as she stepped into their homeroom, Rei looking up from her desk.

'I came in to do some reading...'

'Figures,' she snorted, taking her seat as Touji and Kensuke arrived.

'Well, look who it is,' Asuka said, with a sneer. 'The caveman and the paparazzi...'

'Better call the pound,' Touji said, turning to Kensuke. 'It looks like one of their dogs has escaped...'

'Say that again,' Asuka said, as she moved to stand toe-to-toe with him, balling her fists.

'Nah. I hate seeing girls cry,' Touji said with a smirk, pushing past her and heading for his desk, Kensuke in tow.

With a snarl, Asuka turned and stomped back to her desk, nearly bumping into Shinji who had just walked in.

'Watch where you're going,' Asuka snapped and Shinji paled, looking down at his feet.

'Sorry,' he muttered as he sat down and Asuka returned to her seat, looking round to see Kaworu staring at her. Pale haired with grey eyes, he radiated an infuriating calm that got under Asuka's skin.

'You should apologise to him,' Kaworu said and Asuka scowled.

'He wasn't watching where he was going,' Asuka snapped, as the rest of the students filed in, followed by Hikari.

'Quiet,' she said, as Ms Katsurugi entered, the conversation dying down. 'Stand up. Bow...'

##################

Asuka sat staring out of the window, while Mr Nakamura droned on about something done hundreds of years ago by people who'd died hundreds of years ago. Down below, she saw someone crossing the playground and she felt her heart skip a beat.

_Kaji..._

Tall and broad-shouldered, he was strolling across the grounds with his hands in his pockets, his brown hair pulled back into a ponytail. As she watched, he took off his jacket, getting into a red sports car.

_Finally... _Asuka thought as the bell rang and she shoved her books back into her bag.

'Mr Nakamura must be the most boring teacher alive,' she said, as she stalked into the corridor, followed by Rei and Shinji.

'History's important,' Shinji muttered and Asuka snorted.

'You're a wimp, Shinji,' she said. 'You never complain about anything...'

'History _is_ important,' Rei agreed and Asuka rolled her eyes.

'Teacher's pet,' Asuka muttered. 'Come on. We need to hurry or we won't have time to eat...'

_##################_

'Push off,' Asuka said to the two first years who were sitting on the bench, their eyes widening as they saw her and they scrambled to their feet, hurrying away.

'Asuka!' Shinji said. 'You shouldn't do that...'

'Please,' Asuka said. 'You'll never get anywhere by being a pushover...'

Sitting down, she unwrapped her lunch and started to eat, just as her phone beeped.

Sorry, Asuka.

I need to work late tonight.

I won't be home until after 9...

Mom.

Snapping the phone shut, Asuka shoved it back in her pocket, looking around to see Rei staring at her.

'You got a problem, WonderGirl?' Asuka demanded.

'No,' Rei said, looking away and taking out a book, starting to read.

##################

The rest of the day dragged on for Asuka. As soon as the final bell rang, she shoved her books into her bag, pushing her chair back to crack against Shinji's desk as she stood up.

'Asuka?' Shinji called, but she ignored him, storming out without looking back.

'Do you know what that was about?' Shinji asked and Rei shook her head.

'...no...'

'Great,' Shinji sighed. 'We were supposed to tidy the homeroom together. I don't suppose you could stay and help...?'

'No,' Rei said. 'I have an appointment with Dr Akagi...'

'...alright,' Shinji said. 'I'll see you on Monday...'

##################

Dumping her bag and shoes by the door, Asuka stomped upstairs to her room. Angrily, she stripped out of her uniform, pulling on a faded t-shirt and pair of jeans, as well as her red and white jacket. Grabbing her phone and keys, she stormed back downstairs, slamming the front door behind her.

_##################_

Rei felt a faint hum as the entry plug came to life around her, the lights flickering for a second and she was bathed in a pale blue glow.

'_Rei? Are you online?'_

'Yes, Ms Katsurugi,' Rei said, scanning the displays that had lit up around her. 'All systems are functioning normally...'

'_Okay,'_ Ms Katsurugi said. '_I'm passing you over to Dr Akagi...'_

'_Alright, Rei,' _Doctor Akagi said_. 'We're going to start with the basic impulse control sequences. You know what to do...'_

'Yes, Ma'am,' Rei said, the screen in front of her coming alive, displaying a blinking green dot in the centre. Grasping the actuator arms, Rei brought up her target lock, moving it over the dot to centre it, clicking on the trigger. As soon as she did do, the target moved and she reacquired it again.

'_Excellent, Rei. Now, we'll move onto the sync test. Just think about the answers to the questions as they come up...'_

'Yes, Ma'am...'

Rei sat back as the screen flickered to life, questions flashing in front of her.

_Tree...shadow...samurai...Tokyo...fire...angel...music...green...101...apple...silence...photography...love...father...death...horse...moon...red...fish...sky...88...water...shield...car...night..._

'_Excellent, Rei,' _Dr Akagi said. '_We'll move onto some baseline series tests...'_

'Yes, Dr Akagi...'

_##################_

Asuka wandered along the streets with her hands in her pockets, her baseball cap pulled down tight on her head, not caring where she was going. Across the street, she spotted the neon lights of a games arcade and crossed over the road, stomping up the stairs. Buying some tokens from the machine inside the door, she moved to the closest game. Dropping a token into the slot, she took the gun-shaped controller from the rack, taking aim as the game began.

_Come on, you undead bastards..._

_##################_

'Come on, Rei,' Misato said as she took out her car keys. 'It's late. I'll drive you home...'

'That's alright, Ms Misato,' Rei said. 'I feel like walking...'

'...okay. I'll see you on Monday...'

'Thank you, Ms Katsurugi,' Rei said, buttoning up her coat as she crossed the parking lot. Emerging onto the street, she was about to head home when she saw Asuka stalking across the road, her collar turned up and her hands shoved into her pockets. Hesitating for a second, she followed her across the street and into a brightly lit building, watching as Asuka bought a pack of coloured plastic tokens from a vending machine. Taking them from the slot, she headed for the nearest game and inserted a token, grabbing the plastic rifle from the rack. From where she was standing, she couldn't see what was on the screen, but she could hear the litany of curses and expletives from Asuka.

'Dammit,' Asuka said, stepping back and lowering the rifle, freezing as she caught sight of Rei.

'How long have you been there...?'

'...not long...'

'Well, don't just stand there,' Asuka said. 'Grab the other rifle...'

'...alright,' Rei said, picking up the gun as Asuka dropped another token into the slot, the game restarting to show a dingy street with grey-skinned figures shambling towards them.

'What do I do?' Rei asked.

'Shoot them,' Asuka said, her finger tightening on the trigger, killing two of the zombies with a quick burst. Sighting up, Rei fired a pinpoint shot that killed the last one and Asuka grinned.

'Not bad, WonderGirl,' she said, as another group of zombies began shambling towards them and they opened fire, cutting them down. However, for every one that they killed, another kept coming until they got too close and the screen dissolved to be replaced with the words GAME OVER.

'Come on, WonderGirl,' Asuka said, grabbing her hand and dragging her towards another game...

_##################_

'Her sync ratios are very encouraging,' Dr Akagi said, handing the folder to Misato, who flipped quickly through the pages.

'What do you think about her? Is she up to it?'

'That's your department, Major...'

'Ritsuko...'

'If she continues to develop as she has, we can proceed to the second phase...'

'Alright. I'll take it to Commander Ikari...'

_##################_

'What time is it?' Asuka asked, as they stepped out of the arcade, her phone buzzing in her pocket.

'...20:30,' Rei said. 'Are you...going to answer that...?'

'Nah,' Asuka said, flipping it closed and slipping it back into her pocket. 'Do you want to get something to eat...?'

'Who was on the phone?' Rei asked and Asuka hesitated.

'My mom...'

'Does she know where you are?' Rei persisted and Asuka looked away, shoving her hands into her pockets. 'Asuka, what are you doing...?'

'Giving her a taste of her own medicine,' Asuka snapped, as her phone started to ring again. 'She's always working late and leaving me on my own. Now, she's knows how it feels...'

'You need to answer it,' Rei said and Asuka hesitated before pulling her phone out and flipping it open.

'...mom.'

'_Asuka? Where the hell have you been? I've been calling you...'_

'I'm sorry. I needed some time to clear my head...'

'_Do you know how worried I've been? You need to come home, now...'_

'Mom...' Asuka began, but the line went dead as her mother hung up. 'I need to go,' Asuka said, shoving her hands in her pockets as she walked away...

##################

'Where the hell have you been...?' Asuka's mother demanded, as she slammed the kitchen door behind her. 'Don't you know how worried I've been...?'

'Oh, now you care,' Asuka snapped, folding her arms and her mother frowned.

'What do you mean...?'

'You're never here. All you do is work...'

'I was lucky to get this job, Asuka,' she shouted and Asuka flinched. 'I can't afford to lose it!'

'Mom...'

'I'm sorry I've not been around, honey,' she said, taking a deep breath. 'And I'm sorry for not talking to you about it. It's late. We can talk about it in the morning, okay...?'

'Okay...'

**Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed it. Any reviews, comments or constructive criticisms are very welcome.**


	3. Chapter 3

**All characters and concepts are the property of their respective owners. No copyright infringement is intended, or profit made, from this work of fiction.**

'Morning, Asuka...'

...morning...' Asuka said, closing the kitchen door as her mother grabbed a cereal box from the cupboard, putting it on the table. 'I've made some coffee. Would you like some...?'

'...sure,' Asuka said, sitting down and helping herself to a slice of toast as her mother poured her a cup.

'You...were right,' her mother said, as she sat down opposite her. 'And I should have told you how I was feeling. There'll still be nights when I need to work late, but the weekends will be for us. I thought we could go shopping tomorrow...'

'...sure. I'd like that...'

_##############_

Rei stepped off the bus, pulling up her hood, just as a dark blue car pulled up across the road and Asuka got out. She leant down to talk to the brown-haired woman with strong cheekbones in the driver's seat, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek. As the car pulled away, Asuka crossed the road, catching sight of Rei. She stared at her for a second, before turning away and hurrying inside...

_##############_

'Alright. No absences,' Ms Katsurugi said, snapping the register closed. 'Excellent. I've got a quick announcement before you head to your first lessons. Over the next few weeks, Dr Akagi will be conducting routine physicals on all students. A roster will be posted on Monday. Alright, that's it. Hikari...'

'Stand up,' Hikari said, pushing back her chair. 'Bow...'

_##############_

'...complete the problems on pages 58 and 59 by next week,' Mr Kanakura said, as the bell rang. Gathering up her books and slipping them into her bag, Rei turned to stand up, only to find that Asuka was standing by her desk.

'Rei...'

'Yes...'

'I...just wanted to thank you for yesterday...'

Before Rei could say anything else, Asuka turned on her heel and walked away, leaving her sitting there...

_##############_

'Come on,' Ms Misato yelled. 'Two more laps. Keep going...'

_Gym on Friday ought to be illegal, _Asuka thought, her breath pounding in her ears as she ran.

'Hey, Sohryu,' Toji called, catching her up. 'Looks like you're slowing down...'

'Dumkoff,' Asuka snarled, putting on a burst of speed and she stumbled, dropping to her hands and knees.

'Stop running!' Ms Katsurugi yelled, her whistle cutting across the track. 'Stop running, now! Asuka, are you alright?'

'I'm fine,' Asuka said, trying to push herself up, grimacing in pain. 'It's nothing...'

'Be quiet,' Ms Katsurugi said, kneeling down next to her. 'It looks like a sprain. Rei, help her to the nurse's office...'

_##############_

'It's just a mild sprain,' Dr Akagi said. 'You'll need to keep that ice pack on until the swelling starts to go down. Rei, will you stay with her...?'

'Yes, Dr Akagi...'

'This day just keeps getting better,' Asuka said, slumping back in the chair.

'It is only a sprain,' Rei said and Asuka sighed.

'That's not what I mean. My mother...wants to go shopping this weekend...'

'I thought you were angry that she wasn't around...'

'...yes...but...I hate shopping...' she trailed off as Rei knelt down, checking on her ankle.

'The swelling has gone down...what are you doing?' She asked as Asuka stood up, wincing as her foot touched the floor.

'Leaving. I need to get changed...'

'...alright,' Rei said, putting her arm around her shoulder.

'What are you doing...?'

'If you walk on it, you'll only sprain it again. Unless you want to stay here for the rest of the day...'

'Fine,' Asuka said. 'Let's get out of here...'

**Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed it. Any reviews, comments or constructive criticisms are very welcome.**


	4. Chapter 4

**All characters and concepts are the property of their respective owners. No copyright infringement is intended, or profit made, from this work of fiction.**

'Thought this day would never end,' Asuka muttered, slamming her locker shut and turning to Rei, who was standing behind her with her book bag over her shoulder. 'You didn't have to wait...'

'Dr Akagi told me to stay with you...'

'...fine. Let's go...'

_##############_

'I'm home,' Asuka called, wincing as she stepped inside, glancing over at Rei who was hovering on the doorstep. 'What are you waiting for? Come in, already...'

'...very well,' Rei said, stepping inside, Asuka closing the door just as her Mother emerged from the kitchen.

'Welcome home, dea...oh. Hello...'

'Mom, this is Rei...'

'Hello, Rei.

'Good afternoon, Mrs Sohryu,' Rei said, bowing deeply. 'Asuka hurt her ankle during gym and I was asked to make sure she got home...'

'Rei!' Asuka snapped.

'Well, thank you,' her Mother said. 'Would you like to stay for some tea...?'

'I...I'm sorry. I have to go,' Rei said, backing towards the door and Asuka's mother smiled.

'Alright. Well, thank you again for making sure Asuka was alright...'

**Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed it. Any reviews, comments or constructive criticisms are very welcome.**


End file.
